Sliding door assembly



May 6, 1958 D. F. PRESTON SLIDING DOOR ASSEMBLY Filed Jan, :so, 1956/NVNTOR. 00/v l-T- PRESTON BY Hi6 HTTORNEYi, HARE/6) KlscH, Fear-1?&/'/HRR/$ United States Patent SLIDING DOOR ASSEMBLY Don F. Preston,Covina, Califl, assignor to Acme Appliance Manufacturing Company,Pasadena, -Califi, a corporation of California Application January 30,1956, Serial No. 562,103

9 Claims. (Cl. 160-197) The present invention relates in general tosliding doors and, more particularly, to an assembly of two or moresliding doors for use between two rooms to separate them, or for use ina room to divide it into two parts.

Generally speaking, the invention contemplates a sliding door assemblywhich includes two or more parallel, overhead tracks each having asliding door suspended erefrom by means of wheeled hangers, or the like,the individual doors being stacked in parallel relation against one wallofthe room when the door assembly is open, or being stacked in parallelrelation within a recess in the wall structure of the room when the doorassembly is open. In a sliding door assembly of this nature, it isnecessary to provide some means for guiding the lower ends of theindividual doors and'to provide some means for interconnecting theindividual doors in such a manner that, as the outer or lead door in theassembly is moved between its openrand closed positions, it picks up thesucceeding doors in the assembly one-by-one and moves them between theiropen and closed positions also, a primary object of the inventionbeingto provide an improved combination door guiding and interconnectingmeans of this general nature which is extremely simple and effective. r

An important object of the invention is to provide a sliding doorinterconnecting and guiding means which includes two U-shaped stopsrespectively embracing the lower ends or the vertical edges of andsecured to each of the doors in the series and closing the ends of alongitudinal groove in the lower edge thereof, one of the stops on eachof certain of the doors in the series including a guide which extendstransversely under the adjacent door in the assembly and whichterminates in a flange projecting upwardly into the longitudinal groovein the lower edge of such adjacent door so as to be engageable with thestops at the ends of the groove in the lower edge thereof. .With thisconstruction, the flanges on the guides carried by certain of the doorsin the series are engageable with the stops at the ends of thelongitudinal groove in the lower edge of the adjacent'door in the seriesso that, as the first or lead door in the series is moved between itsclosed and open positions, it picks up the succeeding doors one-by-oneand moves them between their closed and open positions. Also, theflanges on the guides serve to maintain predetermined spacings betweenthe.

lower ends of adjacent doors so as to guide the lower ends thereof asthe door assembly is moved between its open and closed positions, whichis an important feature.

2,833,346 Patented May s, 1958 2 lastor anchor door in the seriesimmovable in a sliding door installation wherein the doors are stackedin parallel relation adjacent a wall. With this construction, thepreceding doors in the assembly move relative to the immovable anchordoor, the latter being rendered immovable by securing it to the wall,floor, or the like. It will be understood that, with this construction,the door at either end of the assembly may be made the anchor door,depending upon the directions of opening and closing movement desired,the door at the other end being the first or lead door.

Another object is to provide, in a sliding door assembly wherein theindividual doors are stacked in parallel relation within a recess in thewall structure when the sliding door assembly is open, a guide securedto the wall structure, or the floor, and extendingtransversely under thelast or anchor door, this guide also having a sinuous flange extendingupwardly into a longitudinal slot or groove in the lower edge of theanchor door and being engageable with the U-shaped stops embracing thelower ends of the vertical edges of the anchor door. With thisconstruction, the anchor door is movable in and out of the recess orpocket .in the Wall structure, its range of movement being limited byengagement of the stops at .the ends of the lower edge thereof with thefixed guide mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide for one slidingdoor which is integral with one of the U-shaped stops on the succeedingdoor in the series.

The'foregoing object s, advantages, features and results of the presentinvention, together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults thereof which will become apparent, may be attained with theexemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and described in detail hereinafter. Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view of a sliding door assembly of theinvention; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partially insection, taken along the arrowed line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom View taken as indicated by the arrowed line 3- -3 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of a U-shaped stop of the invention;

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of a combination U-shaped stop and guide ofthe invention;

,Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a stationary guide of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, partially in elevation" able overheadsupporting structure 16, such as a header.

or ceiling, in alignment with and extending into the recess 12 areparallel tracks 18, 20 and 22. The number of such tracks corresponds tothe number of individual doors in the sliding door assembly 14, it beingunderstood that while three tracks and doors are shown, any number oftracks and doors in excess of one may be'emp'loyed.

Suspended from the respective tracks 18, 20 and 22, as by means ofwheeled hangers 24, are individual sliding doors 26, 28 and St). Thefirst door, 26, in the assembly moves the farthest in traveling betweenits open and closed positions and thus leads the succeeding doors in theseries, the door 26 accordingly being referred to herein as the leaddoor. The last door, 30, in the series moves the shortest distancebetween its openand closed to closing movement of these doors.

positions and anchors the preceding doors in the series againstexcessive opening and closing movement, the,

door 30 therefore being referred to herein as the anchor door. The doors26, 28 and 30 are provided in their lower edges withcentral,longitudinal grooves or slots32, 34 and 36, respectively, each ,of whichextends from .one vertical edge of the door in which it is formed to theother.

Considering now the sliding door interconnecting and guiding means ofthe invention, embracing the respective lower ends of the vertical edgesof and bolted, or otherwise secured, to the lead door 26 so as to closethe ends of the longitudinal groove 32 in the lower edge thereof, areU-sliaped stops 38 and 40. As best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, thestop 38 is a simple U-shaped clip, the stop 40 being identical thereto.Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawing, resilient pads 42 are showninterposed betweenthe bases of the stops. 38 and 40 and the verticaledges of the door 26 to prevent metal-to-metal contact between thesestops anda guide to be described, similar pads 42 being similarly placedwith regard to other stops to be described. It will be understood, how.-ever, that these pads may be omitted. U-shaped stops 44 and 46respectively embrace the lower ends of the trailing vertical edges ofand are secured to the trailing vertical edges of the doors 28 and 30,the trailing edges of these doors beingthe edges thereof which trail inresponse The stops 44 and 46 close the trailing ends of the grooves 34and 36 in the doors 28 and 30 and are shown as bolted to these doors,

the stops 44 and 46 being identical to the stop 38.

The lower end of the leading vertical edge of the intermediate door 28,considered from the point of view of the direction of closing movementof such door, is embraced by a U-shaped stop 48 which closes the leadingend of the groove 34 in the door 28 and which is bolted or otherwisesecured, to this door. The stop 48 has parallel side walls engagingopposite sides of the door 28 and an end wall engaging the leadingvertical edge thereof. Similarly, the lower end of the leading verticaledge of the anchor door 38 is embraced by a stop 50 which is identicalto the stop 48 and which closes the leading end of the slot 36 in theanchor door. The stop 48 includes a guide 52 whichis integral therewithand which extends transversely from one of the side walls thereof underthe lead door 26, the guide 52 terminating in a flange 54 which projectsupwardly, parallel to the side walls of the stop 48, into the groove 32in the door 26 so as to be engageable with the stops 38 and 40 and so asto guide the door 26 relative to the door 28. The flange 54, as bestshown in Fig. of the drawing, is sinuous to provide rounded crests 56engageable with the sides of the groove 32 in the lower edge of the door26 to permit relative sliding movementof theflange 54 and the sides ofthe groove 32in the door 26 without binding, which is an importantfeature. Similarly, integral with the stop 50 at the leading verticaledge of the anchor door 30 is a guide 58, identical to the guide 52,which extends transversely under the door 28 and which terminates in aflange 60 projecting upwardly into the groove 34 in the door 28, theflange 60 also being sinuous to provide rounded crests 62 engageablewith the sides of. the groove 34. Anchored within the recess '12 justinside the entrance thereof, as by means of screws 64 engaging the wallstructure is another guide 66 which is best shown in Fig. 6 of thedrawing, the screws 64 extending through an arm68 of such guide. Theguide 66 extends under the anchor door and terminates in a flange 70which projects upwardly into' the groove 36 in the lower edge of thedoor 30, the flange 70 also being sinuous to provide rounded crests 72for nonbinding engagement with the sides ofthe groove 36. It will thusbe noted that the guide 66 is identical to the. guides 52 and 58 exceptthat it is carried by the stationary arm 68, instead of by the stops 48and 50.

Considering the operation of the invention, it will be assumed that thesliding door assembly 14 is in its closed position and that it isdesired to open it to stack the doors 26, 28 and 38 within the recess 12in parallel relation. In order to do this, the lead door 26 is movedalong its track 18 toward the recess 12. Eventually, the stop 38 on thelead door 26 engages the flange 54 on the guide 52 to pick up theintermediate door 28 and start it toward the recess 12 along its track20, this being the condition illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of thedrawing. After continued movement of the lead door 26 toward the recess12, the stop 48 on the intermediate door 28 eventually engages theflange 60 on the guide 58 to pick up the anchor door 30 and move ittoward the recess 12 along its track 22 simultaneously with movement ofthe lead and intermediate doors 26 and 28 toward the recess 12 alongtheir tracks 18 and 20. Continued movement then results in movement ofthe three doors 26, 28 and 30 into the recess 12.

When closing the door assembly 14, movement of the lead door 26 out ofthe recess 12 ultimately results in engagement of the stop 40 with theguide 52 to pick up the intermediate door 28. Eventually, the stop 44 onthe intermediate door 28 engages the guide 58 on the anchor door 30 topick up the anchor door and move it out of the recess 12, closingmovement of the entire door assembly 14 being limited by engagement ofthe stop 46 on the anchor door 30 with the fixed stationary guide 66.

Considering the alternative embodiment illustrated in Fig. 7 of thedrawing, in the absence of the pocket or recess 12, the doors 26, 28 and30 are merely stacked in parallel relation adjacent the Wall structure10 when the door assembly 14 is open, the anchor door 30 being renderedimmovable, and the stationary guide 66 being omitted in view of theimmovability of the anchor door. As shown in Fig. 7, the anchor door 30may be rendered immovable by means of a latching device 74 comprising ahousing 76 fastened to the anchor door and comprising a verticallymovable bolt 78 engageable with a socket 80 in a floor 82. It will beunderstood that the anchor door 30 may be rendered immovable in otherways.

While the guides 52 and 58 have been shown and described as mounted onthe leading vertical edges of the doors 28 and 30 with respect to thedirection of closing movement of these doors, it will be understood thatthe same results may be attained by mounting them on the trailing edgesof the doors 26 and 28, respectively, and arranging them to project intothe grooves 34 and 36 in the doors 28 and 30, respectively, particularlyin the arrangement of Fig. 7 of the drawing wherein the anchor door 30is rendered immovable.

Although I have disclosed exemplary embodiments of my invention hereinfor purposes of illustration, it will be understood that variouschanges, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in suchembodiments without departing from the spirit o'f the invention asdefined by the claims hereinafter appearing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sliding door assembly, the combination of: first and secondparallel, overhead tracks; first and second sliding doors respectivelysuspended from said first and second overhead tracks and respectivelyhaving longitudinal grooves in their lower edges; two U-shaped stops lrespectively embracing the lower ends of the vertical edges of andsecured to said first sliding door and closing the ends of said groovein the lower edge thereof; two U- shaped stops respectively embracingthe lower ends of the vertical edges of and secured to said secondsliding door and closing the ends of said groove in the lower edgethereof, one of said stops on said second sliding door including a guideextending transversely under said first sliding door and terminating ina flange which projects upwardly into said longitudinal groove in thelower edge of said first sliding door so as to be engageable with saidstops on said first sliding door; another guide extending transverselyunder said second sliding door and terminating in a flange whichprojects upwardly into said longitudinal groove in the lower edge ofsaid second sliding door so as to be engageable with said stops on saidsecond sliding door; and mounting means for said other guide.

2. In a sliding door assembly, the combination of: first and secondparallel, overhead tracks; first and second sliding doors respectivelysuspended from said first and second overhead tracks and respectivelyhaving longitudinal grooves in their lower edges; two U-shaped stopsrespectively embracing the lower ends of the vertical edges of andsecured to said first sliding door and closing the ends of said groovein the lower edge thereof; two U-shaped stops respectively embracing thelower ends of the vertical edges of and secured to said second slidingdoor and closing the ends of said groove in the lower edge thereof, oneof said stops on said second sliding door including a guide extendingtransversely under said first sliding door and terminating in a flangewhich projects upwardly into said longitudinal groove in the lower edgeof said first sliding door so as to be engageable with said stops onsaid first sliding door; another guide extending transversely under saidsecond sliding door and terminating in a flange which projects upwardlyinto said longitudinal groove in the lower edge of said second slidingdoor so as to be engageable with said stops on said second sliding door;and mounting means for said other guide, including a third sliding doorsuspended from a third overhead track parallel to said first and secondoverhead tracks.

3. In a sliding door assembly, the combination of: first, second andthird parallel, overhead tracks; first, second and third sliding doorsrespectively suspended from said first, second and third overhead tracksand respectively having longitudinal grooves in their lower edges; twoU- shaped stops respectively embracing the lower ends of the verticaledges of and secured to said first sliding door and closing the ends ofsaid groove in the lower edge thereof; two U-shaped stops respectivelyembracing the lower ends of the vertical edges of and secured to saidsecond sliding door and closing the endsjof said groove in the loweredge thereof, one of said stops on said second sliding door including aguide extending transversely under said first sliding door andterminating in a flange which projects upwardly into said longitudinalgroove in the lower edge of said first sliding door so as to beengageable with said stops on said first sliding door; two U-shapedstops respectively embracing the lower ends of the vertical edges of andsecured to said third sliding door and closing the ends of said groovein the lower edge thereof, one of said stops on said third sliding doorincluding a guide extending transversely under said second sliding doorand terminating in a flange which projects upwardly into saidlongitudinal groove in the lower edge of said second sliding door so asto be engageable with said stops on said second sliding door; anotherguide extending transversely under said third sliding doorandterminating in a flange which projects upwardly into said longitudinalgroove in the lower edge of said third sliding door so as to beengageable with said stops on said third sliding door; and mountingmeans for said other uide. g 4. In a sliding-door interconnecting meansfor a sliding door assembly which includes first and second parallel,overhead tracks and first and second sliding doors respectivelysuspended from said first and second overhead tracks and respectivelyprovided with longitudinal grooves in their lower edges, the combinationof: two U-shaped stops respectively embracing the lower ends of thevertical edges of and secured to said first sliding door and closing theends of said groove in the lower edge thereof; two U-shaped stopsrespectively embracing the lower ends of the vertical edges of andsecured to said second sliding door and closing the ends of said groovein the lower edge thereof, one of said stops on said second sliding doorincluding a guide extending transversely under said first sliding doorand terminating in a flange which projects upwardly into saidlongitudinal groove in the lower edge of said first sliding door so asto be engageable with said stops onsaid first sliding door; anotherguide extending transversely under said second sliding door andterminating in a flange which projects upwardly into said longitudinalgroove in the lower edge of said second sliding door so as to beengageable with said stops on said second sliding door; and mountingmeans for said other guide.

, 5. In a sliding-door interconnecting means for a sliding door assemblywhich includes first, second and third parallel, overhead tracks andwhich includes first, second and third sliding doors respectivelysuspended from said first, second and third overhead tracks andrespectively having longitudinal grooves in their lower edges, thecombination of: two U-shaped stops respectively embracing the lower endsof the vertical edges of and secured to said first sliding door andclosing the ends of said groove in the lower edge thereof; two U-sh-apedstops respectively embracing the lower ends of the vertical edges of andsecured to said second sliding door and closing the ends of said groovein the lower edge thereof, one of said stops on said second sliding doorincluding a guide extending transversely under said first sliding doorand terminating in a flange which projects upwardly into saidlongitudinal groove in the lower edge of said first sliding door so asto be engageable with said stops on said first sliding door; twoU-shaped stops respectively embracing the lower ends of the verticaledges of and secured to said third sliding door and closing the ends ofsaid groove in the lower edge thereof, one of said stops on said thirdsliding door including a guide extending transversely under said secondsliding door and terminating in a flange which projects upwardly intosaid longitudinal groove in the lower edge of said second sliding doorso as to be engageable with said stops on said second sliding door;another guide extending transversely under said third sliding door andterminating in a flange which projects into said longitudinal groove inthe lower edge of said third sliding door so as to be engageable withsaid stops on said third sliding door; and mounting means for said otherguide.

6. In a sliding-door interconnecting means for a sliding door assemblyincluding first, second and third parallel, voverhead tracks andincluding first, second and third sliding doors which are suspended fromsaid first, second and third overhead tracks respectively, which areprovided with longitudinal grooves in the lower edges thereof,respectively, and which are movable along said tracks into a recess in awall structure at one end thereof, the combination of: two U-shapedstops respectively embracing the lower ends of the vertical edges of andsecured to said first sliding door and closing the ends of said groovein the lower edge thereof; two U-shaped stops respectively embracing thelower ends of the vertical edges of and secured to said second slidingdoor and closing the ends of said groove in the lower edge thereof, oneof said stops on said second sliding door including a guide extendingtransversely under said first sliding door and terminating in a flangewhich projects upwardly into said longitudinal groove in the lower edgeof said first sliding door so as to be engageable with said stops onsaid first sliding door; two U-shaped stops respectively embracing thelower ends of the vertical edges of and secured to said third slidingdoor and closing the ends of said groove in the lower edge thereof, oneof said stops on said third sliding door including a guide extendingtransversely under said second sliding door and terminating in a flangewhich projects upwardly into said longitudinal groove in the lower edgeof said second sliding door so as to be engageable with said stops onsaid second sliding door; another guide extending transversely undersaid third sliding door and terminating in a flange which projects up--wardly into said longitudinal groove in the lower edge of said thirdsliding door so as to be engageable with said stops on said thirdslidingdoor; andmeans mounting said other guide on said wall structurewithin and adjacent theentrance of said recess.

7. A sliding-door interconnecting means as defined in claim 4 whereinsaid flanges .of said guides are sinuous to provide them with roundedcrests engageable with the sides of the g-rooves'in thelower edges ofsaiddoors.

8. In a sliding-door interengaging means for a sliding door assemblywhich includes two parallel, overhead tracks and which includes twosliding doors respectively suspended from :said overhead tracks andrespectively having longitudinal grooves in the lower edges thereof, thecombination of: two -U shaped stops respectively embracing the lowerends of the vertical edges of and secured to one of the doors andclosing the ends of the groove in the lower edge thereof; and twoU-shaped stops re spectively embracing the lower ends of the verticaledges of and secured to the other door and closing the ends of thegroove in the lower edge thereof, one of the stops on the other doorincluding a guide extending transversely under the one door andterminating in a flange which projects upwardly into the longitudinalgroove in the lower edge of the one door so as to be engageable with thestops thereon.

9. In a sliding-door interconnecting and guiding means for a slidingdoor assembly which includes parallel overhead tracks and which includessliding doors respectively suspended from said overhead tracks andrespectively having longitudinal grooves in the lower edges thereof, thecombination of: stops at and closing the respective ends of thelongitudinal groove in the lower edge of each door and carried by suchdoor; guides respectively carried by certain of the doors and extendingtransversely under adjacent doors, respectively, and projecting upwardlyinto the longitudinal grooves in the lower edges thereof, re spectively;and a stationary guide extending under another of the doors andprojecting upwardly into the longitudinal groove in the lower edgethereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,852,608 Grable Apr. 5, 1932 2,523,998 Sanchez Sept. 26, 1950

